text: The 9th International Entrepreneurship Forum in Minsk features master classes from international experts, consultations of experienced businessmen. More than a dozen start-ups represent their projects. The forum has become a platform for supporting young entrepreneurs. According to the National Strategy for Sustainable Development up to 2030, it is planned to increase the share of small and medium-sized businesses in the country's GDP to 50%. Today, Belarusian entrepreneurs provide a quarter of GDP and half of exports, and employ a third of the population.


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The first BIG W branded standalone store opened its doors in 1976 in Tamworth. Today there are 176 stores around Australia.
| Woolworths Group Ltd
owns 100% of Big W
In 2020 Baptist World Aid Australia released The COVID Fashion Report, a special edition of their Ethical Fashion Report. The report is framed around six COVID Fashion Commitments that ask companies to demonstrate the steps and measures they are taking to protect and support the most vulnerable workers in their supply chains. This company showed evidence of actions that cover ALL areas of the COVID Fashion Commitments.
Source: Baptist World Aid Australia (2020)
Oxfam Australia's Company Tracker compares the big clothing brands on their efforts to pay a living wage to the women working in their factories. This company has released the names and addresses of at least 70% of their supplier factories, has taken some action towards paying a living wage within a set timeframe in the supply chain, and has made a commitment to ringfence wages.
Source: Oxfam Australia (2021)
This company is a signatory to the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile & Garment Industry. The International Accord was established in 2021 as the successor to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, which was established in 2013 in the wake of the Rana Plaza building collapse that killed more than 1,000 workers and seriously injured thousands more. Company signatories to the International Accord commit to: Disclosing all factories producing for them in countries with International Accord programs; Ensuring all listed factories participate in the inspection, remediation, and safety training programs; Supporting factories to ensure remediation is financially feasible; Contributing to the operational costs of International Accord programs. This company has also signed the Pakistan Accord.
Source: International Accord (2023)
The 2023 Fashion Transparency Index reviewed 250 of the world's largest fashion brands and retailers and ranked them according to how much they disclose about their human rights and environmental policies, practices and impacts. Brands owned by this company scored 39%, signifying it is publishing suppliers lists as well as detailed information about their policies, procedures, social and environmental goals, supplier assessment and remediation processes, and is more likely to be addressing issues such as living wages and collective bargaining. The average score was 26% and the highest score was 83%.
Source: Fashion Revolution (2023)
According to Oxfam's 2019 report, "Made in Poverty - The True Cost of Fashion", this company sources from Bangladesh and Vietnam. Some of the many disturbing findings of the research in Bangladesh were that 100 per cent of workers interviewed were not paid a living wage, nine out of ten could not afford enough food for themselves and their families until their next monthly pay and seven out of 10 could not pay for medical treatment when they were sick or injured. In Vietnam, 99 per cent were not paid a living wage and seven out of 10 women interviewed felt their pay was not enough to meet their needs.
Source: Oxfam Australia (2019)
Brands owned by this company are listed in Human Society International Australia's Better Wool Guide as using 100% non-mulesed wool from a robust certification scheme, or has a time-bound commitment to do so. Mulesing is the controversial practice of removing strips of the skin of a lamb's rear and is often done without pain relief. In Australia, the only country where mulesing still occurs, an estimated 10 million merino lambs are subjected to mulesing each year - equivalent to 19 lambs per minute.
Source: HSI Australia (2023)
This company has taken angora items off the shelves and promised not to use angora again, following a PETA campaign launched in Dec 2013 which revealed the cruelty inflicted on angora rabbits in Chinese factory farms, where 90% of the world's angora is produced.
Source: PETA (2018)
In 2002, BIG W launched a national campaign called the Big Heart Campaign, which has raised millions of dollars for local children's hospitals, wards and foundations. BIG W also sells various fundraising merchandise at their checkouts to support National Health Programs such as Jeans for Genes Day and National Breast Cancer day.
Source: company website (2013)
This company is a participant in the Action, Collaboration, Transformation (ACT) initiative, an initiative between international brands and retailers, manufacturers, and trade unions to address the issue of living wages in the textile and garment supply chain.
Source: IndustriALL (2021)
This company is a member of the Better Cotton Initiative, a voluntary program which encourages the adoption of better management practices in cotton cultivation to achieve measurable reductions in key environmental impacts, while improving social and economic benefits for cotton farmers, small and large, worldwide.
Source: Better Cotton Initiative (2022)
In 2020 Oxfam evaluated several clothing brand's purchasing practices across seven categories: whether a brand provides accurate forecasts of upcoming work to factories; its price negotiation strategies; whether a factory's environmental and social compliance influences the brand's purchasing decisions; how a brand places orders with factories; what its payment terms are; commitment to pay a living wage; and the transparency of a brand's supply chain. This company was given a score of 2.5 with 4 being the highest possible score.
Source: Oxfam Australia (2020)
Baptist World Aid Australia's '2022 Ethical Fashion Report' assessed 120 companies on their efforts to mitigate against the risks of forced labour, child labour and worker exploitation in their supply chains, as well as protect the environment from the harmful impacts of the fashion industry. Assessment criteria fall into five main categories: policy & governance, tracing & risk, auditing and supplier relationships, worker empowerment and environmental sustainability. This company received a score of 34/100.
Source: Baptist World Aid Australia (2022)
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre digital platform presents news and allegations relating to the human rights impact of over 20,000 companies. Their enhanced Company Dashboards also include financial information, key data points based on corporate policies, and scores from prominent civil society benchmarks. Follow the link and use the search function to view this company's dashboard.
Source: BHRRC (2022)
|Woolworths Group Ltd
The 2021 Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) report ranks global food companies on how they are managing and reporting their farm animal welfare policies and practices. This company appeared in tier 2, "Integral to business strategy", with tier 1 being the best, and tier 6 the worst.
Source: BBFAW (2021)
Greenpeace's Reenergise campaign ranks Australia's biggest electricity using companies on their commitments and actions regarding renewable energy use. This company has: committed to powering their operations by 100% renewable electricity by 2030; signed at least one power purchase agreement (PPA) to buy power from a wind or solar project; invested in on-site solar.
Source: Greenpeace (2021)
This company received a packaging performance level of 4 (Leading) in its 2023 APCO Annual Report. Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) is a not-for-profit organisation leading the development of a circular economy for packaging in Australia. Each year, APCO Members are required to submit an APCO Annual Report and Action Plan, which includes an overall performance level from 1 (Getting Started) to 5 (Beyond Best Practice).
Source: APCO (2023)
The PalmOil Scan app, produced by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), rates companies on their commitment to sourcing sustainable palm oil. Companies are scored on their use of certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO), commitment to sourcing CSPO, on-the-ground conservation action, and membership to the RSPO. Companies can earn a rating of Excellent, Good, Poor or No Commitment. This company is rated "Good" (retrieved 18 Nov 2023).
Source: WAZA (2023)
In 2023, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change risk. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Climate Change score of B.
Source: CDP (2023)
In 2023 KnowTheChain benchmarked 60 food and beverage companies on their efforts to identify and tackle forced labour risks in their supply chains. This company received a score of 56/100. The average score was a disappointing 16/100 and the highest score was 56/100.
Source: KnowTheChain (2023)
The 2022 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark assessed 127 companies in the food and agriculture, ICT and automotive manufacturing sectors on their human rights performance. This company received a score of 42.1%. The overall average score was a disappointing 17.3% and the highest score was 50.3%.
Source: World Benchmarking Alliance (2022)
Modern slavery disclosure is a critical step in mitigating the risk associated with modern slavery practices in companies' operations and supply chains. The quality of the disclosure signals the level of commitments and efforts that the companies have put in managing these risks. In 2021 the Monash Centre for Financial Studies analysed and ranked the disclosure quality of the modern slavery statements submitted by the 300 largest listed companies on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX300). This company's modern slavery disclosure statement received a grade of A.
Source: Monash University (2021)
The 2021 Food and Agriculture Benchmark assessed 350 keystone companies across the entirety of the food system, from farm to fork. It covers three dimensions where transformation is needed: nutrition, environment and social inclusion. This company ranked #32/350, with a total score of 41/100.
Source: World Benchmarking Alliance (2021)
This company won the National Banksia Gold Award at the 2023 Banksia Sustainability Awards. "Our sustainability program has brought teams right across Woolworths Group together to collectively drive short and long-term action on our ambitions across our pillars of People, Planet and Product."
Source: Banksia Foundation (2023)
In 2019 Break Free From Plastic engaged 72,541 volunteers in 51 countries to conduct 484 brand audits. These volunteers collected 476,423 pieces of plastic waste, 43% of which was marked with a clear consumer brand. While not in the global top 10, this company ranked as Australia's worst plastic polluter.
Source: #breakfreefromplastic (2019)
The Green Supply Chain Corporate Information Transparency Index (CITI) evaluates consumer-facing companies that have a sizeable supply chain in China. The evaluation uses government supervision data and public information to assess the environmental management of their supply chains in China. This company received a score of 15/100 (retrieved 24 Nov 2023).
Source: IPE (2023)
Forest 500 identifies the 350 companies and 150 financial institutions with the greatest exposure to tropical deforestation risk, and annually assesses them on the strength and implementation of their deforestation and human rights commitments. This company received a score of 35%.
Source: Forest 500 (2021)
In 2020 this company paid a $1 million penalty, handed down by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), in response to more than five million breaches of spam law. The ACMA discovered that Woolworths sent marketing emails to consumers, between October 2018 and July 2019, even though they had previously unsubscribed from these messages. The infringement notice for $1,003,800 is the largest ever issued by the ACMA.
Source: news article (2020)
In 2021 Woolworths announced it had provisionally settled a class action lawsuit filed against it by a Canberra law firm in 2019 for underpaying supermarket workers. The retailer said it would make an ex-gratia payment of $2,500 plus superannuation to about 20,000 current and former salaried team store members. This takes the total payments to staff under the class action settlement to around $50 million.
Source: ACCC (2021)
In contrast to consumer expectations and free range eggs standards across the world, the government caved to pressure from a few industrial scale egg producers and major retailers to introduce a free range eggs standard in 2017 allowing producers to pack 10,000 hens into a hectare. The CSIRO, RSPCA, Choice and many others recommend a maximum of 1,500 hens per hectare. This company uses a stocking density of 10,000 hens per hectare for its Woolworths free range eggs, well in excess of consumer expectations.
Source: company website (2023)
This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 36/100 in the Food & Staples Retailing category of the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices (last updated 16 Dec 2022). The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
Source: S&P Global (2022)
In August 2007 the giant supermarket chain Woolworths was revealed to be marketing some of its own tissue and paper products sporting a 'Sustainable Forest Fibre' logo and stating that they were made from 'a certified environmentally managed company that is environmentally, socially and economically responsible'. While the products indicated that they were sourced from Indonesia, the only hint as to which company was the supplier were the letters APP on one tissue pack (APP is the acronym for Asia Pulp and Paper). [Listed under information due to age of report]
Source: Sourcewatch (2007)
In 2011 the Therapeutic Goods Administration's Complaints Resolution Panel upheld a complaint about an ad by this company on the grounds that it breached advertising codes. The ad was subsequently withdrawn.
Source: TGA Complaints Register (2011)
This company has been criticised for offensive advertising. In 2020 the Advertising Standards Bureau upheld complaints about internet ads by this company on the grounds that they breached advertising codes. The ads were subsequently discontinued or modified.
Source: Advertising Standards Bureau (2020)
Involved in sale of tobacco-related products as a non-core business.
Source: company website (2020)
Be Slavery Free's 2024 Chocolate Scorecard rates all the major chocolate companies on their labour and environmental policies and practices. Companies were asked questions in six areas: traceability and transparency; living income; child labor; deforestation and climate; agroforestry; and pesticides. This retailer received an orange rating: "Needs improvement in policy and practice".
Source: Be Slavery Free (2024)
Named and shamed in the 2023 CHOICE Shonky Awards for "cashing in during a cost-of-living crisis". Woolworths posted a $1.62 billion profit in a year when Australians are facing soaring cost of living pressures.
Source: Choice (2023)
Yellow rating in Greenpeace Canned Tuna Guide. "Woolworths' private labels took 8th place this year. Woolworths have made good commitments in the past, but it needs to back these up with a commitment to transparency. Woolworths should provide more evidence to verify the traceability of their tuna and other sustainability and ethical sourcing commitments. Not all of its private label tuna cans are labelled with the specific catch method. Woolworths is also the only major retailer continuing to stock Greenseas, the last brand still using destructive FADs. We look forward to seeing Woolworths do better next year." [Listed under Information due to age of report]
Source: Canned Tuna Guide (2017)
In Dec 2006 the Federal Court of Australia ordered Woolworths to pay $7 million plus legal fees, for entering into and giving effect to illegal anticompetitive agreements with small business liquor licence applicants. In his judgment Justice Allsop described Woolworths' purpose in entering into the agreements as aimed at preventing the entry of new competitors into local retail packaged takeaway liquor markets so as to protect Woolworths' liquor businesses.[noted as Information due to age of court order]
Source: ACCC (2006)
On 14 April 2014, the Federal Court of Australia found supermarket giant Woolworths breached an undertaking on fuel shopper dockets, but that its rival Coles did not break the agreement. Woolworths had breached the agreement for the first three months of 2014, when it offered discounts of up to eight cents a litre.
Source: ACCC (2014)
Independent testing commissioned by Friends of the Earth found potentially harmful nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and silica (SiO2) in a range of food products including products by this company. The silica and titanium dioxide in all 14 food products tested contained a high proportion of nanoparticles that have not been tested, labelled or approved for consumption in Australia. Furthermore, peer reviewed studies have raised health serious health concerns regarding the use of these nanoparticles in food.
Source: FOE (2015)
In June 2016 the Fair Work Ombudsman issued a report criticising Woolworths with a finding that some trolley collectors working at its supermarkets were being paid as little as $10 an hour. 79% of sites visited had indications of some form of non-compliance with workplace laws, with 49% of sites presenting serious issues.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman (2016)
In Jan 2016 Woolworths was ordered to pay over $11 million in damages to private property developer North East Solution, after it ditched a deal for the construction of a Masters hardware store. The Supreme Court of Victoria ruled that Woolworths failed to act in good faith with North East Solution after the retail giant unfairly terminated the agreement it had with the Victorian developer to build a Masters store in the regional Victorian city of Bendigo, and lease the site for 12 years.
Source: Inside Retail (2016)
In June 2016 the Federal Court ordered Woolworths to pay total penalties of $9 million in laundry detergent cartel proceedings brought by the ACCC. Woolworths was knowingly concerned in an anti-competitive understanding which they admitted was reached between laundry detergent manufacturers.
Source: ACCC (2016)
On 5 Feb 2016, the Federal Court of Australia ordered Woolworths to pay penalties of over $3 million for breaches of the Australian Consumer Law relating to safety issues with house brand products sold in Woolworths supermarkets, Big W and Masters stores.
Source: ACCC (2016)
This company received a score of 17.1/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.
Source: Newsweek (2017)
According to the democracyforsale.net website, this company donated $178,505 to Australia's major political parties between 2012 and 2018, as disclosed to the Australian Electoral Commision (AEC).
Source: Democracy For Sale (2018)
In 2021 Woolworths paid $44.5 million to settle a class action with shareholders, who may have bought shares at an inflated price because of improper company reporting.
Source: news article (2021)
This company has agreed to phase out the use of microbeads in their own-brand products by 2017. These particles are not retained by wastewater treatment so end up in the ocean. While microbeads aren't thought to be a health hazard to consumers, they are a threat to the marine environment.
Source: CHOICE (2016)
Some, but not necessarily all, of this company's products are palm oil free, or contain segregated certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO). For more details, follow the link to see Borneo Orangutan Survival Australia's list of products which manufacturers have told them are palm oil free or contain segregated certified sustainable palm oil.
Source: BOS Australia (2020)
This company sells Rainforest Alliance certified products. However this only represents a fraction of this company's total private label products sales. Rainforest Alliance certification has been dubbed 'Fairtrade light' by critics, as it offers producers no minimum price for their crop, and guarantees a minimum of just 30% of the product is certified.
Source: Rainforest Alliance (2020)
As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: adopt a science-based emissions reduction target; commit to 100% renewable power.
Source: We Mean Business (2021)
This company manufactures or distributes products that are certified organic under the Australian Certified Organic label.
Source: ACO (2022)
This company sells Fairtrade Certified coffee. However this only represents a fraction of their total coffee sales.
Source: Fairtrade ANZ (2018)
This company is listed by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) as a Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation holder. The citation is designed to encourage, recognise and promote active commitment to achieving gender equality in Australian workplaces.
Source: WGEA (2022)
All Woolworths brand chicken products use humanely farmed RSPCA Approved chicken. These farms raise their birds in an enriched barn environment. Chickens enjoy space to move, good lighting and can perch, dustbathe and forage.
Source: RSPCA Australia (2020)
This company is listed on the RSPCA Australia website as 'cage-free and proud', signifying a commitment to source 100% cage-free eggs by 2025. Essentially cage-free means barn laid, which is better than cage eggs, but still much worse than free-range or organic eggs when it comes to animal welfare.
Source: RSPCA Australia (2020)
In March 2014 Woolworths published the names and addresses of 52 factories in Bangladesh, which Woolworths Limited's retail brands (including BIG W) source from.
Source: company website (2014)
This company has signed up to the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct, which governs certain conduct by grocery retailers and wholesalers in their dealings with suppliers. It has rules relating to grocery supply agreements, payments, termination of agreements, dispute resolution and a range of other matters.
Source: ACCC (2015)
From 2018 Woolworths is partnering with WWF Australia to further improve sustainable fisheries and seafood sourcing. WWF Australia is providing technical and strategic advice to guide Woolworths' seafood sustainability efforts. This includes assessing the ecological sustainability of Woolworth's seafood supply chain across Woolworths Own Brand seafood products, as well as all seafood products sold at the seafood counter in Woolworths stores. Woolworths is committed to improving tracking and labelling processes to ensure that all seafood products sold in their stores are traceable from source to sale.
Source: WWF Australia (2018)
Between 2015 and 2018 this company paid $2.3 billion tax on a total income of $149 billion, earning the number 9 spot on Michael West's Top 40 Tax Payers 2020. West calculated which of Australia's largest companies have paid the most tax using three years of tax transparency data published by the Australian Tax Office.
Source: Michael West (2018)
This company is a member of Bonsucro - Better Sugar Cane Initiative, a global non-profit, multi-stakeholder organisation fostering the sustainability of the sugarcane sector through its leading metric-based certification scheme and its support for continuous improvement for members.
Source: Bonsucro (2019)
The Material Change Index (MCI) is a voluntary benchmark that tracks the apparel and textiles sector's progress toward more sustainable materials sourcing (cotton, polyester, nylon, manmade cellulosics, wool, down and leather), as well as alignment with global efforts like the Sustainable Development Goals and the transition to a circular economy. This company was rated "Maturing", the second highest performance band.
Source: Textile Exchange (2020)
This company has sustainability claims on its website, including sustainability reports. Environmental claims cover animal welfare, sustainable seafood, GMOs, responding to climate change, sustainable forestry products and sustainable tea, coffee and chocolate.
Source: company website (2020)
The United Nations Global Compact asks companies to embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, a set of 10 values in the areas of human rights, labour standards, the environment, and anti-corruption. However it's non-binding nature has been widely criticised, and many signatory corporations continue to violate the Compact's values.
Source: UN Global Compact (2020)
This company is a member of the amfori Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI), an industry-driven movement that aims to monitor and assess workplace standards across the global supply chain. Participating companies are expected to follow a code of conduct which has 11 principles including no bonded labour, no child labour, fair renumeration, decent working hours and ethical business behavior.
Source: amfori (2023)
This company is a member of the Australian chapter of the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform, the main food industry initiative supporting the development of sustainable agriculture worldwide. Created by Nestle, Unilever and Danone in 2002, the SAI Platform is a non-profit organization to facilitate sharing, at precompetitive level, of knowledge and initiatives to support the development and implementation of sustainable agriculture practices involving the different stakeholders of the food chain.
Source: SAI Platform Australia (2023)
The WWF Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard 2021 assesses 227 companies on the actions companies have taken to ensure their own palm oil supply chain is sustainable and free of deforestation, natural ecosystem conversion, and human rights abuse. This company is rated 'middle of the pack' with a score of 14.06 out of a possible total of 24.
Source: WWF Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard (2021)
The 2023 Gender Benchmark ranks 112 companies from the apparel and food and agriculture sectors on their efforts to drive gender equality and women's empowerment across their entire value chain. Companies are assessed on governance and strategy, representation, compensation and benefits, health and well-being, violence and harassment, and marketplace and community. This company ranked #15/112, with a total score of 37.8%. The average score was 23% and the highest score was 55%.
Source: World Benchmarking Alliance (2023)
The Apparel and Footwear Supply Chain Transparency Pledge (Transparency Pledge) helps demonstrate apparel and footwear companies' commitment towards greater transparency in their manufacturing supply chain. Transparency of a company's manufacturing supply chain better enables a company to collaborate with civil society in identifying, assessing, and avoiding actual or potential adverse human rights impacts. This is a critical step that strengthens a company's human rights due diligence. This company has published limited supplier factory information, and falls well short of the Pledge standard.
Source: Transparency Pledge (2019)
|4.6 billion AUD (2021)
|1 Woolworths Way, Bella Vista, NSW, 2153, Australia
|1300 244 999
Products / BrandsBig W
Avella Womens Plus Size
Big W Electronics Stores
Big W Department Stores
Big W Toy Stores
Big W Everyday Apparel
Big W Homewares Stores

domain: news


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SEOUL, May 14 (Korea Bizwire) – Just like the rest of the world, Korea is suffering from a prolonged economic downturn. Like societies elsewhere, Koreans and their businesses are adapting and adjusting to what is starting to be accepted as a new economic reality.
To begin with, there has been a clear shift in consumer behavior.
The economic stagnation has brought about an obvious consequence – consumers are spending less. But this doesn’t mean that they’re not spending at all. On the contrary, the markets for second-hand products, refurbished goods, and private brands are all booming.
The retail industry is quickly responding.
Young Chang, a major manufacturer of pianos and other wood working machinery, is offering discounts of up to 60 percent on its refurbished instruments. Refurbished products are goods that have been returned to manufacturers or retailers for various reasons. Once they are re-tested for defects, they are once again sold to customers at discounted prices. Young Chang’s promotion, dubbed ‘The Black Sale’, is taking place on its online shopping mall and at its Incheon-based retail store.
The demand for second-hand products is also on the rise.
The nation’s largest second-hand trading platform, Joonggonara, launched a mobile application last month. The company comes from humble roots, as its original incarnation was a simple online blog, but now boasts over 14 million users (South Korea has a population of 50 million), with an average five million visitors every day, and more than 100,000 product postings.
The Q1 revenue at open markets for used books also increased by an impressive 50 percent compared to Q1 2015, even though readers in general made fewer book purchases. The average monthly spending on books in 2015 was 16,623 won, a 21.2 percent decline from 21,087 in 2005. Nonetheless, the second-hand book market is still thriving.
Private brands are also benefiting from shifting consumer behavior.
Private brand (PB) products refer to product lines exclusively manufactured for specific retailers, and offered at discounted prices compared to their competitors. Korea’s largest retailer, Emart, noted that its PB products accounted for 20 percent of its total sales, and the figure is rising steadily. PB products for Homeplus, another major retailer, accounted for 28 percent of total sales.
The food industry is also targeting frugal consumers.
All-you-can-eat restaurants are attracting customers with competitive pricing strategies. Hansae Food recently launched a new all-you-can-eat franchise for Korean pork BBQ. The restaurant, with a bizarre yet tantalizing name that translates into ‘Generation of Unlimited Pork Belly’, offers unlimited BBQ for only 10,000 won.
Rental services are also booming.
According to Seoul Gyeongjae, a business news daily, ‘toy rooms’ featuring LEGO products are becoming popular among mothers. For an hourly average of 5,000 won, children can immerse themselves in a LEGO universe.
Block Pang offers a rental service for a variety of toys, including LEGO and board games. For a monthly fee of 29,000 won, customers have unlimited access to its merchandise. And for the germophobes, like myself, the company thoroughly cleans and sterilizes its products on a regular basis.
One of Korea’s Big Three retailers, the Hyundai Department Store Group, is also expanding its offerings to rental services. It’s launching Hyundai Rental Care, providing rental services of various products including, but not limited to, water and air purifiers, furniture, and kitchen appliances.
While the retail and service industries are rushing to establish and participate in new markets, e-commerce companies are joining hands.
Korea’s top open market, 11ST, recently began selling over 2,000 regional products from Ticket Monster, one of its biggest competitors. Ticket Monster is a social commerce website that offers various coupons for products and services such as restaurants, cafés, hair salons and fitness clubs. 11ST also entered into a partnership with major retailer Shinsegae, offering its customers a greater variety of brand options.
Gmarket, another major e-commerce platform, is also teaming up with major retailers and brands such as Lotte Department Store in its bid to hold off its rivals.
All said, the economic downturn has become the ‘Next Big Thing’. And although this ‘big thing’, in part, is suffocating consumers and businesses, it is something that everyone will have to embrace eventually. Despite the hardships, it’s bringing about some fresh changes to the Korean business environment. Companies are catering to changing consumer needs, and consumers are becoming more careful with their purchases, which, in turn, hopefully, will increase the quality of the products and services being offered.
By Joseph Shin (firstname.lastname@example.org)


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Carlos Enrique Perez-Melara, who allegedly created malware purporting to catch out cheating lovers, has made it on to the FBI’s “most wanted” list of cybercriminals.
The FBI says Carlos Enrique Perez-Melara ran a website offering customers a way to “catch a cheating lover” by sending spyware masquerading as a greeting card.
Opening the card downloaded the malware on to the recipient’s computer and recorded keystrokes and messages.
The “Lover Spy” program cost $89.
Carlos Enrique Perez-Melara was indicted in July 2005 but has avoided capture ever since, only now making it on to the FBI’s most wanted list.
He ran the operation from his San Diego home in 2003, the FBI says, while he was in the US on a student travel visa.
The charges against Carlos Enrique Perez-Melara, 33, included making, sending and advertising an interception device, and unlawfully intercepting electronic communications.
The indictment said Lover Spy was designed “with stealth in mind, claiming that it would be impossible to detect by 99.9% of users”.
But Carlos Enrique Perez-Melara has avoided the authorities ever since and his last known location was San Salvador, the FBI said.
The agency appears to have added the hacker to its list partly out of frustration at his elusiveness.
“These are sophisticated folks who know how to hide themselves on the internet,” said John Brown, who oversees the FBI’s cyber-division.
The agency has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
According to the 2005 indictment, Carlos Enrique Perez-Melara sold the malware to 1,000 customers, who then used it to infect the computers of about 2,000 victims.
Victims took the bait about half the time, the government said.
People who bought the spyware were charged with illegally intercepting electronic communications.


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KENYA – Kenyan importing and distribution company, Fruitbox Ltd., has inaugurated a state-of-the-art cold storage facility worth USD 1.5 million in Nairobi in a groundbreaking move to revolutionize fruit security across Eastern Africa.
The facility, designed to house 800 pallets of fruit and equipped with seven loading docks, signifies a leap forward in the region’s quality control and fruit handling standards, drawing from an integrated European approach to cold storage.
Fruitbox Ltd. was formed in 2014 and is a collaboration between Kenyan entrepreneurs and South African companies, Vitanova International and Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing, spearheaded by individuals deeply rooted in Kenya’s fresh produce industry, Sandip Jethalal and Bhaumik Shah.
Nico de Lange, the chairman of Fruitbox Ltd., highlights the evolution of their infrastructure: “We transitioned from leasing cold storage to crafting purpose-built facilities, a crucial step in advancing our business.”
Nico underscores the company’s unique market leadership, emphasizing their meticulous fruit classification upon arrival and storage based on quality and shelf life standards, a practice exceptional within Africa.
“In optimizing fruit condition and aligning with market demands, our precision in fruit handling stands out,” Nico adds.
Sandip Jethalal, Fruitbox’s general manager, emphasizes the company’s value addition through an exemplary reporting system and a robust cold chain.
“Our commitment involves relaying data to suppliers promptly, ensuring that fruit, from arrival to storage, doesn’t exceed an hour,” he said.
Simon Cabral from Vitanova International highlights their strategic commitment to Fruitbox Ltd.’s development in East Africa stating how they envision collaborative efforts with suppliers and customers to offer superior service in this challenging sector.
The facility’s innovative design, strategically located within the Tilisi development near Nairobi’s CBD and major highways, streamlines Fruitbox Ltd.’s fruit reception from sea or air freight, allowing seamless distribution from a single location.
Roelf Pienaar, Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing’s managing director, stresses how this storage capacity amplifies their reach across East Africa, emphasizing Kenya’s pivotal role as a trade gateway to neighboring countries like Uganda, Rwanda, and South Sudan.
Acknowledging Nairobi’s sporadic power outages, Fruitbox Ltd. is currently leveraging diesel generators while planning to integrate solar panels in phase two of the project. Their expansion blueprint aims to double capacity within the next two years.
The significance of Kenya as a trade hub resonates strongly in Fruitbox Ltd.’s operations, with a substantial portion of their imported produce destined for cross-border trade and a smaller fraction allocated to the local retail market.
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Google has said that its upcoming Stadia cloud gaming service will ensure that in the rare ‘unforeseen circumstances’ of a title publisher pulling support for a game on Stadia, Google will continue to make it available to those who purchased the license to stream it.
In case you are not aware, Stadia is a cloud gaming service from Google that is slated to be launched in November and will stream the gaming software directly from a remote server, saving you from having to buy a consolidated gamebox.
Once you purchase the game, you own the right to play it. In the future, it is possible that some games may no longer be available for new purchases, but existing players will still be able to play the game, says an FAQ page from Stadia.
It sounds like a rather specific scenario, but it is certainly not a farfetched one. Stadia, and cloud gaming at large, is an unproven distribution model with unproven economics. It is not yet clear how smart it is for publishers to put games onto Stadia, versus making those games available through one of the many subscription download models now popping up or just sticking with standard physical sales of discs and digital downloads.
There could be a situation in which a publisher decides to experiment with Stadia and later on decide cloud gaming is not worth it, or, in a more likely event, a competing cloud gaming provider, like Microsoft, could outbid Google for streaming exclusivity on a title that ultimately ends up forcing it off Stadia after its release.
Because Google is offering both standard version and a subscription model, called Stadia Pro, that bundles free games alongside direct full game purchases, that would mean customers might lose access to a product they have legitimately paid for and own in the event of a publisher fallout. To assuage all those fears, Google is effectively saying it will not let something like that happen.
However, the phrase ‘unforeseen circumstances’ in the Stadia FAQ could mean anything and cloud gaming’s distribution model leaves open the possibility that true ownership of a streamed software license becomes even more of a diluted concept, just as terms of service and user license agreements have diluted the concept of owning and having control of both digital and physical goods.
We will have to wait until the November launch of Stadia to know clearly what unforeseen circumstances will force Google’s hand in this regard.


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Al-Futtaim Motors has launched the all-new 2020 Toyota Corolla in the UAE, and for the first time, it is now available with a Hybrid Electric powertrain as well. The Corolla is the Japanese auto giant’s best-selling nameplate – with over 47 million units sold all over the globe, it witnesses record sales figures in the Middle East, too. Toyota has improved their star C-segment stalwart by incorporating a comprehensive facelift, accompanied by more features and improved mechanicals.
At the launch event that was held in Dubai, Saud Abbasi, Managing Director of Al-Futtaim Toyota, said, “The all-new 2020 Corolla is the most radical rethink of the iconic nameplate yet. Not only is it forward-looking in its technology, it delivers a driving experience that is unprecedented. In addition to the petrol variant, customers will now also have a Hybrid Electric option, thereby enhancing the appeal of the Corolla badge while answering an increasing need for clean motoring in the UAE. We are confident the new model will carry the legacy of the Corolla nameplate even further. Al-Futtaim Toyota has been the pioneer in sustainable mobility in the UAE launching the first Hybrid Electric Vehicle in 2008. The launch of the all-new Corolla Hybrid further reinforces our commitment to the UAE 2021 vision. Over the next few years, customers can look forward to a greater number of HEV models catering to various tastes and needs.”
The Corolla is the Japanese auto giant’s best-selling nameplate - with over 47 million units sold all over the globe
“The all-new 2020 Corolla is the most radical rethink of the iconic nameplate yet. Not only is it forward-looking in its technology, it delivers a driving experience that is unprecedented. In addition to the petrol variant, customers will now also have a Hybrid Electric option, thereby enhancing the appeal of the Corolla badge while answering an increasing need for clean motoring in the UAE," Saud Abbasi, Managing Director of Al-Futtaim Toyota.
The all-new 2020 Corolla is built on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform, and boasts a stronger body shell (which is 60 percent more rigid than before), lower centre of gravity, improved multi-link suspension for better driving dynamics and ride comfort, and the “2.0 Emotional Design” language. The new design language benefits the 2020 Toyota Corolla, and it even resembles the new Camry, especially when viewed from the front. The sculpted front fascia now sports a streamlined yet more muscular bonnet, underlined by a thin chrome grille, distinctly shaped headlamps with signature LED daytime-running lights (DRLs), and a deep-chin bumper that is flanked by C-shaped faux air-intake surrounds.
The reworked styling also reflects in the new Corolla’s side body panels which now house some striking contours and character lines, sporty side sills, and new designs for the machine-cut alloy wheels. The rear has been tidied up as well with the inclusion of a new boot lid design, elegant 3-D design LED tail lamps, neat chrome garnish, and a well-moulded bumper. Overall, the all-new Corolla looks far more upmarket and premium when compared to its predecessor. Equally as important as the exterior refresh, is what the Japanese carmaker has been able to accomplish on the inside.
The all-new 2020 Corolla is built on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform.
The 2020 Corolla’s cabin has been given a makeover, and now boasts of a well laid out, clean design. Thanks to the clever use of different coloured trim and surface finishes, and due to the interplay between gentle curves and crisp contours – this interior appears modern and fairly sophisticated. It isn’t just the styling or design, as Toyota has improved the new Corolla’s build quality and fit-and-finish, too. Meanwhile, some of the most interesting features in this cabin include the 7-inch colour driver’s display in the instrument cluster, 7-inch touch-infotainment head unit, power sunroof, and a wireless smartphone charging pad. As standard, all variants of the 2020 Corolla come with cruise control, four airbags, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC), and Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-Force Distribution (EBD).
The 2020 Toyota Corolla costs between AED 71,900 to AED 95,900, the latter being the sticker price for the rang-topping hybrid GLI variant. The brand-new Corolla Hybrid’s hybrid-electric powertrain utilises a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine and two battery packs to produce a combined output of 121hp. Working in tandem with its continuously variable transmission (CVT), this powertrain allows for a fuel economy of up to 3.62 L/100 km. Meanwhile, the petrol-only variants of the Corolla are also equipped with CVT gearboxes, and can be had with either a 1.6-litre or 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. The smaller unit develops 121hp, while the punchier mill makes 168hp and 200Nm of maximum torque.


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This is where sterling hawks should start to give up.
U.K. inflation may be even higher than expected and U.K. growth may be proving even lower than forecast. In fact, the combination looks downright toxic. But, that doesn’t mean the Bank of England should do anything just now.
On the contrary, a rate rise at this stage would only make matters worse by knocking consumer confidence and reducing domestic demand even further. The key to it all is wages. Once the fancy bonuses in the City of London have been stripped out, new data shows that the ordinary worker is having a very rough time. Average wage growth is coming in somewhere around 2.0% on the year while headline inflation is around 4.5% and rising.
In other words, real incomes are tumbling at the same time that the number of unemployed seeking benefits is rising. This is hardly an environment for tough wage negotiations. And the outlook isn’t about to get better anytime soon.
The Bank of England itself acknowledges that the recent rally in global commodity and energy prices will push inflation up as far as 5% later this year. In the meantime, as recent sharp public sector spending cuts ricochet through the economy, hopes of some early rebound in private sector jobs simply isn’t happening.
“We believe that private sector companies will become increasingly careful in their employment plans in the face of a struggling economy and elevated input costs,” said Howard Archer, chief U.K. economist at IHS Global Insight, justifying why private companies have not stepped up to the plate.
This more studied approach to the timing of a rate rise may already be reflected in the comments from the Bank of England’s latest minutes.
[More after the jump]


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Technology students from the Zwolle region have the scoop: they are the first students in the Netherlands to have access to robot dog Spot, an advanced robot that works together with humans. Students and companies are researching what Spot means for the manufacturing industry.
Nowadays, we are all familiar with the robotic vacuum cleaner that independently cleans the floor and the thermostat that turns on the heat automatically when the temperature drops. These are examples of robotics and automation. Robot dog Spot, developed by Boston Dynamics, takes robotization to the next level! This robot works together with humans but most importantly can perform tasks that are dangerous for humans.
“Spot walks on four legs and looks and feels with cameras and sensors. Spot can independently identify where it is damp or not, supply machines and check whether the right materials are used in the right place”, says entrepreneur Arend van der Sluis of the high-tech company Tembo in Kampen. “He can walk on any sort of terrain and even climb stairs.”
The opportunities that Spot has to offer for this industry was for Tembo a reason to bring Spot from America to the Netherlands. Spot costs 75,000 euros, including import duties. The robot dog finds its home at Perron038’s innovation center in Zwolle. “He is staying there because we want to investigate, together with students and other partners, what this type of robot means for the manufacturing industry in the near future.”
What about a robotic colleague
According to van der Sluis, robots will be our new colleagues. In fact, they can generate work. “A robot like Spot can walk through a machine and reach places that are hard to reach for technicians. As a result, employees have their hands free and they can check the production process and ensure the quality,” explains the entrepreneur. “Another advantage is that production that is now done in low-wage countries can come back to the Netherlands.
During the corona crises it turned out that we are way too dependent on supplies from countries such as China, so therefore it is smart to make more in the Netherlands. Besides, why ship products all the way from the other side of the world, when we can produce it here for the same price? Lastly and very important: local production is better for the environment.”
Replacing the battery independently
To get to know Spot and explore his possibilities, students are now looking for a way to let the robot dog replace its battery by himself. “It might have to involve another robot, who will remove the almost empty battery from Spot and replace it with a full one. If we can make this work, Spot can be deployed almost continuously, without having anyone to worry about him. But more importantly, we learn what we can do with this kind of robotics,” emphasizes van der Sluis.
Learning comes first
Learning comes first, is apparent from the story of van der Sluis. “If we were doing this to get all kinds of production done quickly, we would simply have bought more robots like Spot. With Perron038 we want students and companies in the entire area of Zwolle to benefit from this. Spot serves as an inspiration for the integration of this type of robotics in the workplace and society. And of course, to show talent how interesting the manufacturing industry is.”


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If you think of Under Armour as just a sports apparel company, think again. Starting in 2013, Under Armour acquired MapMyFitness, followed by the addition of EndoMondo and MyFitnessPal and the launch of UA Record, making Under Armour Connected Fitness the largest digital fitness community in the world.
“When we started it was very much about the product. It was about the shirts and shoes. Now it’s much more about the digital product,” said Kurt Kendall, VP Analytics and Data Solutions at Under Armour, during his presentation at Retail’s BIG Show, NRF’s annual convention and expo.
Under Armour’s mission is to make all athletes better and change the way they live. And don’t harp on the term “athlete.” You don’t have to be an Olympian to be included. Anyone interested in improving their health and fitness is welcome to join its connected fitness community.
If you join, you won’t be alone. To date, Under Armour has approximately 200 million registered users worldwide and that number continues to grow rapidly. This is not an insignificant development for the company. It has gained direct relationships with hundreds of millions of people on all seven continents and amassed a lot of insightful data.
“In some parts of the world, this community is how consumers were first exposed to the brand. So it is very important for us that this community represents the idea of making athletes lives better. But it also gives us the opportunity to transform how a traditional footwear and apparel retailer will interact with its consumers,” explained Kendall.
After Under Armour put its connected fitness platform in place, it began to incorporate fitness and apparel products into the digital experience. Its new Gemini line of running shoes and HealthBox fitness system seamlessly connect the physical and digital world. They automatically track your health and fitness activity as you exercise and sync with UA’s apps, including MapMyRun and UA Record, so you can leave your phone at home.
“When you go out for a run you probably aren’t going to forget your shoes. You might forget your phone, but not your shoes,” joked Kendall.
But the transfer of the digital experience from the phone to the wearable is no joke. It’s a huge opportunity for innovation. For Under Armour, the shoe or shirt becomes the digital platform used to enhance the athlete’s experience.
“The reality is that the physical product and the digital product are not distinguishable. This digital integration of the product is not going to slow down, we think it is going to accelerate and we want to be on the forefront of that,” said Kendall.
All these connected apps, wearables, and retail transactions create a lot of data. Incredibly valuable data. “To put it in perspective, our estimation across all our digital platforms globally, we are talking over 10 billion interactions a year and each one of those gives us the ability to improve the customer experience,” explained Kendall.
To make sure everything ties together, the company launched a ‘single view of the customer’ initiative. “It’s one of our key strategic initiatives and is enabling a completely different way for us to operate,” said Kendall.
As part of the initiative, Under Armour is implementing the SAP Fashion Management solution. This will ensure every retail transaction in the world flows together and links with the connected fitness data. Customer workout activities, nutrition logs, sleep patterns, geospatial data, and more will be tied to retail activities. That deep level of insight will enable Under Armour to offer highly personalized and contextual consumer experiences and better align product innovations to how consumers actually use them.
“We have 3 billion workouts in the system. So you can literally pull out an iPad and see how many rugby players are in the USA. What type of individual is playing rugby, what’s the gender mix, what states they are playing in, and equally important, we can communicate with those individuals. So when we think about product lines for the rugby consumer, we already have a good understanding of who those people are and can reach out to them directly,” explained Kendall.
Under Armour’s transformation into the world’s largest digital connected fitness company is creating kinetic energy throughout the organization. It’s stimulating innovation in product lines, energizing new business models, and improving the athlete in all of us.


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Cargill exec: Trump doesn’t need to ‘walk back’ Food Safety Modernization Act
President-elect Donald Trump doesn’t need to “walk back” the Food Safety Modernization Act, a key piece of Obama administration legislation, the director of food safety for Cargill, one of the world’s largest agribusiness companies said this week.
FMSA is “a good regulation we support,” said Mike Robach, the vice president for corporate food safety, quality and regulatory affairs for Cargill, a Wayzata, Minn.-based company.
“We need to have government oversight. The government has a role in assuring the things we are doing to support safe food,” Robach told reporters at a meeting of the Global Food Security Initiative, a group that tries to establish It also levels the playing field.
“We think with FSMA we have a set of rules that are based on science. We had input,” Robach said.
Although food companies weren’t completely satisfied with the bill that Congress passed, “we did work on the rulemaking. I feel pretty good about where we are on that.”
Robach also noted that industry has started the campaign for the bill in order to assure consumers about food safety and that it had passed in 2010 with bipartisan support.
Although the rules for FSMA are in place, there are still questions about how it will be implemented, he said.
The bill is supposed to shift FDA’s role in food safety from dealing with problems when they occur to prevention.
FDA still calls its inspection force “investigators,” which leads company officials to think they are trying to mount a case against a company, Robach said, adding he has suggested that the agency use the term “inspectors” instead.
Gillian Kelleher, the vice president of food safety and quality assurance at the Wegmans grocery store chain, added that FSMA is “changing mindsets and that is helpful when you shift to prevention.”
Peter Begg, the senior director for global quality at Mondelēz International, said the traceability required under FSMA is “an evolution” and that some products are easier to trace all the way back to basic production than others.
FMSA requires inspection of imports and Begg said there are still questions about whether companies that follow good practices will get “expedited review” at the U.S. border.
GFSI, which Robach chairs, is based in Paris and was set up to bring together companies to establish uniform high food safety standards in the private sector and make it easier for companies to meet the requirements under FSMA and similar laws.
GFSI’s activities lead to companies qualifying for third party certification for food safety. GFSI is trying to convince FDA that its members’ third party certification should be accepted so that FDA could concentrate on companies that need assistance to meet standards.
A Canadian Food Inspection Agency official said that under Canada’s Safe Food for Canadians Act, the equivalent of FSMA, acknowledges third party certification, GFSI said in a news release.
–The Hagstrom Report


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KARACHI: The domestic currency depreciated Friday against the US dollar in open market and sustained its stability in the interbank.
As per the local money market, the US currency gained 10 paisas in open market for buying at 107.70 and for selling at 108, while it remained unchanged in interbank for buying at 105.30 and for selling at 105.50.
On Thursday, the dollar remained flat to close at Rs 105.30 for buying and Rs 105.50 for selling in interbank. The rupee closed higher in the open currency market on dull demand for dollar from private sector buyers in open market. The greenback closed at Rs 107.60 for buying and Rs 107.90 for selling in the open market. It lost 10 paisas against the rupee.


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Busy, cheap travel this holiday
Jul 21, 2015 at 11:50 AM
Airfares are down, gas prices are lower, hotel rooms are a smidgen cheaper and money is tight all around, according to the annual Thanksgiving travel survey produced by AAA.
But people, 43.6 million of them, plan to move about the country, which is slightly more than last Thanksgiving and a multitude more than at the peak of the Great Recession.
"Thanksgiving travel hit a decade low in 2008 when only 37.8 million Americans traveled," AAA President Robert Darbelnet said in a statement. "Since that year we have seen a steady increase in the number of travelers taking to the roads and skies for the holiday. Americans continue to find ways to economize their budgets."
He said the median outlay for travel over the four-day weekend — $498 — is a 10 percent decrease from last year.
Nine out of 10 people who told AAA they plan to travel more than 50 miles said they would travel by car, accounting for the small increase in overall travel. Air travel is forecast to decline by a fraction.
Anticipating that flying will be a rare experience for some of the more than 3 million who will board planes, the Transportation Security Administration issued its usual holiday reminders about limits on carry-on liquids and cautions about wrapped packages, snow globes and toting cakes and pies.
AAA said that airfares on the 40 most popular air routes have dropped by 11 percent since last Thanksgiving.
The automobile club said the average price of gasoline nationwide was expected to be between $3.25 and $3.40. That's a decline of almost 40 cents a gallon since early October.
Hotel rooms were just a couple of dollars cheaper than a year ago, AAA said.
Wednesday and Sunday were expected to be the heaviest travel days, although 25 percent of people said they won't head home until Monday.


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In nearly every Canadian industry and across every sector, a historic labour shortage is hitting companies hard. As of June 2022, businesses posted almost 70% more job openings in Canada than pre-pandemic. But these firms were competing for 13% fewer unemployed workers than were available in February 2020. The impact is severe: more than half of Canadian businesses say labour shortages are limiting their ability to increase production—up from 40% before the pandemic and 30% a decade ago.
The problem is even more pronounced in the United States, where there were nearly two vacant jobs for every unemployed worker in May. A key factor behind the problem is a rapid rebound in economic activity from pandemic lows. Massive stimulus to households over the past few years has also fuelled a surge in demand for goods and services—and the workers that produce them. Wages are moving higher as a result, adding to persistent and rising inflation.
Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story @ Proof Point: Canada’s labour shortages will outlive a recession
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Fibre first: Tetra Pak tests plant-based barrier to replace aluminium for carton packaging – VP interview
Tetra Pak is testing a fibre-based barrier to replace the conventional aluminium layer on its aseptic carton packaging in a bid to slash carbon emissions while still maintaining shelf life.
The aluminium layer is critical in keeping the contents in the cartons safe for consumption. Despite being thinner than human hair, the aluminium layer contributes a third of the greenhouse gas emissions linked to materials used by Tetra Pak.
Zero tolerance: South Korea imposes full ban on non-compliant food and beverage packaging materials
The South Korean government has imposed a complete ban on food and beverage packaging made using recycled materials that are not in full compliance with national standards.
Earlier this year, South Korea’s Ministry of Environment (MOE) announced the enforcement of more stringent regulations to establishing food and beverage as recyclable, which is expected to see more types of packaging falling into the undesired ‘difficult to recycle’ category as this would mean higher costs for the manufacturers.
In its most recent move, the government has formally promulgated the local Food Sanitation Act to include regulations which govern the use of recycled materials in food and beverage packaging, under the power of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS).
Going green: Flavour enhancement products need to be both ‘clean label and clean energy’ for China and Middle East
Flavour enhancement products today need to not only cater to consumers’ clean label demands, but also be made using clean energy if firms wish to capitalise on the current wellness and sustainability trends that are on the rise in the China and Middle East markets.
This is according to flavour enhancement specialist firm Angel Yeast, which has made a bid to increase the ‘cleanliness’ of their products – both in terms of content and manufacturing process – in order to maximise market value in some of its largest markets.
“[Clean label is not just a trend], it is a mainstream trend in many of the markets that we are operating in, including China and the Middle East,” Angel Yeast Europe Division and company spokesman Eric Ao told FoodNavigator-Asia.
Food supply woes: Japan’s food self-sufficiency goals suffer setback after 2021 rate hits decade-low
Japan’s longstanding ambitions to boost its food self-sufficiency rates by 2030 has suffered a major setback after government data revealed it has dropped to its lowest value in a decade.
Japan has long acknowledged that the country has seem food self-sufficiency rates drop continuously over several decades and has been trying to reverse it.
The United Nations will host its 27th Climate Change Conference in a matter of months. As leaders gear up for COP27 in Egypt, food industry experts want to see an increased focus on food system resilience and transformation. Here’s why.
Food and agriculture are essential to meeting the climate goals set out under the Paris Agreement, with the ambition of limiting global heating to 1.5°C. Food production is linked to 35% of total manmade greenhouse gas emissions. And it isn’t just how we make food that’s the problem. How we consume it needs to change too.


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Cover your face sustainably with these environmentally-friendly (not to mention snazzy) reusable face masks from conscious brands we rate.
A new report by Systemiq and the PEW Charitable Trusts shows plastic flows into the ocean are expected to triple by 2040. And since the outbreak of COVID-19 and mandatory face masks, the amount of single-use items (or ‘Covid-waste’) is a new kind of pollution adding to the plastic problem. While an increase in PPE waste in hospitals is sadly unavoidable (but devastatingly, this FT report identifies that until the 1980s most medical PPE was reusable. Single-use, disposable products only came into circulation once their money-making potential was realised. WTF!). But us regular folk don’t need to rely on single-use face masks. So why are we?
The WHO anticipates that PPE use will surge by 40% over the course of the pandemic. But where is this additional waste ending up? (Our guess is oceans and landfills.) And what can we do as consumers to ensure we’re not adding to the waste? The simple answer is to invest in a few sustainable, reusable masks. It ain’t rocket science!
Here are 10 conscious brands doing their part to reduce global waste thanks to their eco-friendly face coverings.
Bamboo Straw Girl
We’re longtime fans of this local Singaporean brand (its founder, Melissa Lam, is also a 2019 Green Warrior). Its range of 100% cotton reusable masks have adjustable cloth ties to go around the ears and sell individually for $7.50 (or five for $36). The child masks are created from offcut batik print fabrics and support a fairtrade seaside community of seamstresses through a second stream of income. The best part? 100% of profits from mask sales goes directly to Migrants We Care. A charity set up to benefit the migrant worker community that has been hit hard by COVID-19.
If you’re looking for breathable masks in awesome prints that’ll make your face stand out from the crowd, FaceWedge is worth a shop. Its masks come in a variety of sizes (from kids small to adults XL) meaning you can banish that annoying earache from too-tight earloops for good. Plus, for every five masks sold, FaceWedge pulls a kilo of plastic from our oceans thanks to its brilliant partnership with Seven Clean Seas. And so far, just over 800kg of plastic has been removed from our oceans; result!
Local Singaporean designer Sabrina Goh has created a mask range in her signature aesthetic. In particular, check out the origami masks for a unique design twist. The range continues to evolve with each new batch, with the most recent iteration using sustainable fabrics like Tencel and SOLOTEX.
Masks For Music
The Bye Bye Plastic Foundation has joined forces with Masks For Music to create sustainable face masks that also benefits the music industry devastated by the pandemic. Each double-layer mask is woven using eco-cotton and is handmade ethically under fair trade conditions. What’s more, the team has also implemented a carbon-offsetting system and packaging is entirely plastic-free. Importantly, Masks For Music is not in operation to turn a profit. All proceeds from the masks go towards assisting musical artists, organisations, industry professionals, and venues weather the COVID storm.
This super chic range comes in myriad fabrics and colours (and it even sells chains to pimp your mask) that the fashion-forward will love. But for us, it’s all about the limited edition biodiversity mask. The eco-themed print on eco-friendly linen fabric is handmade by local tailors. Plus, a portion of proceeds from this mask goes towards the Environmental Defense Fund that helps address today’s most urgent environmental challenges.
OliveAnkara’s bold African signature prints translate beautifully from its epic clothing line to its all-new face mask collection. All masks are created by upcycling Ankara fabric cutoffs from the brand’s main clothing collections. Plus, 10% of revenue goes towards local charities helping migrant workers and people in need.
Creating environmentally, ethically, and socially conscious style for a sustainable future, this womenswear fashion label has long been bookmarked in our browser. And recently face masks have made the cut in its sartorial repertoire. Utilising offcut fabrics, the premium face masks are sustainably and ethically made by family-run factories in Portugal. Once you no longer need your mask, simply return it and Baukjen will sustainably recycle it for you. Well, thank you very much.
This super cool sustainable activewear label has teamed up with PADI to create a range of face masks made from reclaimed plastic ocean waste. Available in assorted sizes, shapes, and colours, each one is designed for maximum breathability and comfort. And if you just can’t get down with wearing a mask, check out its eco-friendly neck buffs with filters instead.
This NYC based brand has taken face masks to the next level. These ain’t just run of the mill face coverings, consider these facial accessories that have graced the pages of Vogue. Be quick and get your pre-order in now, because this small female-owned business has a cult following on IG with each batch selling out faster than you can say Coronavirus. Each mask is created by master tailors in its NYC studio using the cleanest, most natural fibres it can find.
This relatively new marketplace style website features over 200 independent UK brands that make eco-friendly and ethical products. If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop to help you live more consciously, this is it. And naturally, the selection of face masks is worth a look. You’ll find a variety of brands with masks made from everything from sustainable bamboo and hemp to plastic ocean waste.
United By Blue
United By Blue is a certified B Corp casual wear label based in the US. And for every product purchased it removes one pound of trash from oceans and waterways. And since its inception, it has removed over 3,410,161 pounds of garbage. Impressive stuff. Aside from its excellent range of dog bandanas, we also rate its range of salvaged hemp face masks. Plus, for every three-pack purchased, it donates one mask to Chosen 300; a charity benefitting Philadelphia residents experiencing homelessness.
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It seems like you enjoyed our content and are on your way to better understanding how to be more conscious. As you’ll know, we’re on a mission to make sustainability accessible, mainstream and sexy. And we would not be able to do it with you. We would love you to support us even further in our GITNB movement by helping us create even more content to keep inspiring you and the rest of the world. Aside from being able to enjoy even better reads, you’ll also receive a GITNB t-shirt consciously made from upcycled fabrics in partnership with a Cambodian social enterprise supporting women. For a small donation you will make a huge difference.SUPPORT US HERE


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The Capital City African American Chamber of Commerce will be featured on the cover of March’s tech edition of Black Enterprise magazine, the Chamber’s president and CEO, Natalie Cofield said.
The CCAACC has been highly active in recent months, having just launched the Black Technology Council, which includes large members such as Google Inc., Dell Inc., IBM Corp. It also has entrepreneurial Chamber members, such as Heatwave Interactive, a gaming company; Blogging While Brown, a national minority blogging conference; and SalesVu, a mobile phone payment company.
Late last year, the CCAACC hosted a delegation of technology companies and the head of the Brazilian embassy for international trade and investment.
Meanwhile, the organization is launching its inaugural class of CCAACC/SXSW African Diaspora Fellows. As part of that initiative, two entrepreneurs from Kenya, one of whom is being honored by South By Southwest, will be in Austin for the event.
The upcoming article in Black Enterprise, a minority-focused business magazine, is about the technology scene in Austin and the CCAACC’s work on engaging technology startups.
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Last year Jio come in telecom market. Jio offers unlimited net and calling it impact more in telecom industries. All companies reduces the data pack price. Now Jio Phone Spotted Online.
At that time Jio announce that in 2017 they will come in mobile market. Now Jio come with new Jio mobile. Price of this mobile is around Rs. 1299.
Phone comes with basic keys MyJio, Jio Live TV, Jio video and Jio Music below the display with T9 keypad and D-pad in the middle, just like any other feature phone and doesn’t have a touchscreen.
Before Jio announce VoLTE-enabled feature phones starting at Rs. 999 that will run on Android operating system.
This phone will lunch soon. So, people can easily use Jio 4G.


text: The country’s largest flight booking website by tickets sold says it will invest 3 billion yuan in a major domestic airline, a move that comes as carriers try to increase direct sales. Caixin reported Ctrip signed the deal with China Eastern Airlines Corp. Ltd., the second largest carrier by passenger numbers, on April 21 in Shanghai. The agreement will see Ctrip buy shares in the airline’s upcoming private placement and increase its stake to 10 percent within a year. That would make the travel website firm the carrier’s biggest outside stakeholder. The firms said they will also collaborate on a range of projects, including developing budget airlines and travel insurance products.


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Battlefield 6 Release Window Revealed
Battlefield 6 has a PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC has a release window. Today, during its earnings call, Electronic Arts revealed that DICE's new Battlefield game will release sometime next holiday season. EA doesn't mention platforms, but if the game is a holiday 2021 game it all but confirms it will be releasing via the aforementioned next-gen consoles and PC. However, what's less certain is whether it will be a truly next-gen experience or a cross-gen game that also hits PS4 and Xbox One. In the earnings call, EA mentions DICE has a "true next-gen vision for the franchise," which may suggest it will be next-gen only, but for now, file this as speculation.
EA also notes that it's been getting "very positive" feedback from internal testing, which has made it confident in the product. Meanwhile, it promises the installment will have "never-before-seen scale" and technical achievements only possible thanks to next-gen tech.
"DICE is creating our next Battlefield game with never-before-seen scale," said EA of the game. "The technical advancements of the new consoles are allowing the team to deliver on a true next-gen vision for the franchise. We have hands-on play testing underway internally, and the team's been getting very positive feedback on the game as we've begun to engage our community."
Unfortunately, this is where the details end. However, EA notes it will have more to talk about the game in spring, which is presumably when it will be revealed as well.
EA first announced Battlefield 6 back in June. Since then, it's been silent on the title, which many believed was in the very early stages of development, and it might have been, however, a holiday 2021 release window suggests it was quite deep into development back in June.
Battlefield 6 is set to release worldwide sometime holiday 2021. At the moment of publishing, there's been no concrete word of platforms, and it sounds like this will be our last update on the game until at least March.
In the meantime, for more coverage on all things gaming -- including all of the latest Battlefield news -- click here. Further, and as always, feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think or hit me up on Twitter @Tyler_Fischer_ and let me know over there. What are you hoping to see from the next Battlefield game?


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iSuppli has found that disk drive manufacturers are shifting to more power-efficient 2.5-inch drives
If industry analyst IHS iSuppli is correct, a trend is building in the desktop PC world that has manufacturers moving from faster standard 3.5-inch hard drives to smaller, more power-efficient 2.5-inch units.
The consultancy said in a media brief on 13 April that global shipments of 2.5-inch hard-disk drives (HDDs) to all-in-one PCs are forecast to reach approximately 1 million units in 2013, up from zero this year.
Shipments to hit 3 million
Shipments – mostly from the Far East countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and Taiwan – then will increase to 3 million units the following year and rise steadily until they hit some 7 million units in 2016, IHS iSuppli said.
Western Digital is the world’s No. 1-selling HDD producer, with 40 percent of the global market. Seagate Technology is right behind with about 37 percent. Both companies have most of their HDDs made in Southeast Asia.
“With a maximum capacity of 1 terabyte, 2.5-inch HDDs are proving very attractive to PC makers for use in their next-generation all-in-one designs,” said Fang Zhang, analyst for storage systems at IHS. “Multiple all-in-one PCs have the potential to adopt 2.5-inch HDDs, including the iMac from Apple Inc., TouchSmart from Hewlett-Packard, Series 7 from Samsung Electronics, IdeaCentre from Lenovo, Top Touchscreen from Asus Eee and all-in-one desktops from Vizio and Acer.”
These new all-in-one desktop PCs are superior in performance and features to conventional machines, thanks to recent advances in multi-core microprocessors and the thinner HDD size. As such, all-in-one desktop PCs can extend the markets for 2.5-inch HDDs, iSuppli said.
Most 2.5-inch drives typically run at 5,400 rpm, compared with 7,200 rpm for the 3.5-inch. The 2.5-inch also sells at slightly higher prices than the 3.5-inch as a whole, although the gap in price can be narrowed if 2.5-inch volumes become significant, iSuppli said.
The HDD industry was hit hard last year by heavy monsoon-created flooding in Southeast Asia that put a major crimp in production. Some manufacturing facilities in Thailand and Vietnam that had been literally under water last fall are just now coming back online.
Full-scale production is expected to resume by this coming autumn, industry sources have reported.
Do you know Google’s secrets? To find out, take our quiz.


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New Sapporo route affected – Thai AirAsia X chief executive Nadda Buranasiri said the airline’s Bangkok-Sapporo route would be affected by the JCAB’s ban. The airline will be able to offer service on this route for only two months, from May 1 to June 30. (Thun Hoon, 01/04/15)
Comment: All of this news about Thai airlines being subpar in quality is one of the silliest things ever done by the airline operators here in Thailand, it is just plain stupid stupid stupid.
BCP confident that 1Q15 will be better than 1Q14 as the firm is running at a higher utilization rate and refining margin is also trending up. The solar power plant in Japan will begin to book revenue in 2017. (Kao Hoon, 01/04/15)
BIG expects 10% revenue growth in 2015 in line with the continued recovery in tourism. The firm expects a better margin in 2015 than 2014’s 5.23%. (Thun Hoon, 01/04/15)
BKD expects impressive 1Q15 earnings driven by strong revenue recognition from more delivery of projects to customers. Currently, the firm has backlog of Bt2bn and expects to bid for new projects worth Bt5bn. (Kao Hoon, 01/04/15)
Adding CEO to management structure – The Board of Directors’ passed a resolution to add the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to its management structure. It appointed Mr. Kavin Kanjanapas, the Executive Director, to also hold the CEO position. (Kao Hoon, 01/04/15)
CWT to restructure into a holding company – It will list more of its subsidiaries, with greater contribution from the energy business to account for more than 70% of revenue growth. The company plans to announce a joint investment with a leading EPC player in a 4MW solar rooftop and 40MW waste power plant. The first 10MW will be concluded soon. (Thun Hoon, 01/04/15)
Comment: Another player going into renewable energy!
EARTH signs MOU for feasibility study of 300MW coal-fired power plant in the Philippines. The power project will secure 25 years of coal with EARTH or around 20mt. The company is confident that a capital increase is not necessary if the project goes through. (Kao Hoon, 01/04/15)
Comment: EARTH has been a company that piqued my curiosity for the longest time, a dual listing, one of the larger coal players in Thailand and now this project.
INET will join with allies to strengthen its business. Management expects revenue in 2015 to be higher than Bt600-700mn and performance could turn around to the black after net loss of Bt6.82mn in 2014. Management is also confident that the 4G auction will be positive for the company’s business outlook. (Thun Hoon, 01/04/15)
MAJOR’s revenue for 2015 is expected to rise 15% YoY due to strong lineup of box office hits. It has budgeted Bt1.5bn to expand in 2015. (Kao Hoon, 01/04/15)
NokScoot to use Singapore license to fly to Japan to bypass the uncertainty about the ban of Thai-based airlines. Thai AirAsia (AAV’s subsidiary) assures consumers that the airline’s current scheduled flights are not affected. Thai AirAsia’s scheduled flights, particularly to/from China, are able to continue its service as usual. All scheduled routes have been granted flight permission. Currently, Thai AirAsia does not have any charter flight services to China. (Kao Hoon, 01/04/15)
OCEAN confirms plan to invest in power project. The company plans to issue a Bt300mn debenture plus sign with joint venture partners to finance the project. The company targets to hold 20% in every project. For its existing business, the company expects revenue growth of 20% in 2015 from new products and expansion of its retail and overseas business. (Kao Hoon, 01/04/15)
PJW confirms improved performance YoY after more revenue contribution from painting plant with backlog of nearly Bt100mn. Management expects revenue recognition for 2015 to reach Bt100-200mn. The company believes the worst has passed for the company with target sales growth of more than 10% YoY and improving margin from lower feedstock cost. (Thun Hoon, 01/04/15)
Comment: The issue for PJW is that they have all this new capacity but are unable to increase its utilisation, and management doesn’t have a real answer as to why it hasn’t happened yet.
SYNTEC targets sales revenue of Bt21bn, up 8-10% YoY. This will be driven by higher sales volume and extra gain from the write-back of bad debt in 2012 of Bt150mn. The company plans to spend Bt100-150mn for M&A this year. (Kao Hoon, 01/04/15)
Comment: I think the news has the target sales revenue completely off.
UNIQ expects strong operation backed by expected strong backlog from government projects. This year, the company expects revenue of more than Bt10bn. (Thun Hoon, 01/04/15)
VPO expects weaker operation this year on lower palm price. This year the company plans to use Bt100mn to improve business and find a new opportunity. (Krungthep Turakij, 01/04/15)


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NPCI rolls out mechanism for tokenisation of RuPay cards: All you need to know
The NPCI Tokenization System will offer RuPay card tokenisation as an alternative to merchants holding card data.
- Customers' security is improved via tokenisation.
- It gives customers a smooth buying experience.
- NPCI offers certification to acquiring banks, aggregators, merchants.
New Delhi: The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has announced the launch of the NPCI Tokenization System (NTS), which will facilitate card tokenisation as an alternative to retailers keeping card details. The introduction follows the Reserve Bank of India's directive that all cards be tokenised by January 1, 2022.
In a press release issued, NPCI claimed that the NTS will facilitate the tokenisation of RuPay cards to further enhance customer safety and deliver a smooth purchasing experience to consumers.
What is tokenisation?
Card tokenisation is a procedure that substitutes the details of a card used for a transaction, such as its number and CVV, with an encrypted algorithmically generated token. The card issuer or the payment network generates the token.
Customers' sensitive financial data will be protected, and cyber fraud will be reduced as a result of this approach.
NTS will support RuPay tokenisation as an alternative to retailers keeping card data.
How will it work?
According to the NPCI news release, sensitive client information is to be maintained in the form of an encrypted 'token' to aid protect transactions, based on the set of rules established by the RBI. These tokens then allow payments to be handled without disclosing customer information or allowing payment intermediaries to keep customer information, potentially compromising security and privacy.
According to NPCI, acquiring banks, aggregators, and merchants can get certified as token requestors with NPCI and save the token reference number against all card numbers saved.
"All of these firms can keep their RuPay customer base by using TROF (Token Reference On File) for future transactions started by their respective RuPay customers," NPCI explained.
Tokenisation is intended to minimise friction in the payment process by giving customers a speedier checkout experience, according to NPCI, in addition to improving security.
Others who have introduced the Card-on-File tokenisation service
Visa launched its Card-on-File (CoF) tokenisation services in India a few weeks ago, in accordance with the RBI's recently released standards. The card-on-file tokenisation service has been launched in conjunction with Juspay, India's first CoF tokenization service, and is now available across e-commerce platforms such as Grofers, BigBasket, and MakeMyTrip, according to a press statement published by Visa on October 6, 2021.
Brazil defeated a stubborn Switzerland side 1-0 to reach FIFA Qatar 2022 World Cup last 16.
Cristiano Ronaldo wheeled away in celebration, acting as though he had scored yet another goal at the World Cup....
'Governor's post is outdated': DMK MP Kanimozhi slams RN Ravi for failing to grant assent to online gambling ordinance
The DMK leader wondered why the Governor refused to approve the Bill even after the state government clarified his...
Police claim that a woman identified as Poonam Das and her son Deepak first gave sleeping pills to Anjan Das and then...
A representative of the protesting priests alleged that the actions of Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath were the reasons...
Earlier in 2015, the apex court had struck down the NJAC Act and the Constitution (99th Amendment) Act, 2014.
Pineapple is believed to have originated in the Brazilian rainforests. Let us have a look at 10 different types of...
Life is Good trailer: Jackie Shroff returns to the big screen with a heart-tugging father-daughter story
The movie is slated to premiere on December 9.
Cirkus' trailer will be out on December 2 and the film will hit the theatres on December 24, 2022.
Argentina came into the game under a lot of pressure, thanks to their opening game defeat to Saudi Arabia.
An Action Hero song Aap Jaisa Koi: Malaika Arora owns the dance floor as she recreates Zeenat Aman's item number
The song has been recreated by Tanishk Bagchi and the modified lyrics have been re-sung by Zahrah S Khan and Altamash...
‘Na Boond’ has been composed and sung by Vishal Mishra and the lyrics are penned by Kaushal Kishore.


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Samsung's annual Smart App Challenge is here, focus is on Chord SDK apps like Group Play
Samsung's Smart App Challenge last year was a huge developer undertaking with more than $4 million in prizes and benefits. This year the award pool has shrunk to $800, 000, but the scope has also shrunk.
Samsung will be giving bounty to ten applications with creative usage of its Chord SDK, as demonstrated on the Galaxy S4 below, for instance. This feature allows fast peer-to-peer connection across multiple devices, and collaborating or sharing info and media together on the fly.
Perhaps the most impressive demonstration of what Chord SDK can bring so far is the surround sound speaker mode made of several S4s doing one and the same song, but the possibilities are endless, and that's precisely what Samsung wants to tap with its 2013 app challenge, and from a fresh perspective at that.


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PRNewswire – The EuroMillions Superdraw jackpot has rolled over five times and has reached the €180,000,000 mark for the upcoming EuroMillions draw. The next draw will take place on Tuesday, October 21st and South African players are flocking to buy their EuroMillions lottery tickets online.
EuroMillions is Europe’s biggest multi-state lottery, renowned for its massive jackpot prizes. A total of 9 European countries participate in this lottery, but players from all over the world can buy EuroMillions tickets online. The draws happen every Tuesday and Friday. Players choose five numbers between 1 to 50 as well as two ‘Lucky Stars’ from 1-11, and need to match all of these numbers to win the jackpot.
The EuroMillions jackpot is capped at €190,000,000, so it does not have far to go to reach this record amount. On August 10th 2012, Gillian and Adrian Bayford from the UK won the record €190,000,000 jackpot. With the current jackpot at €180,000,000, Tuesday’s draw is generating massive EuroMillions online ticket sales as players from South Africa and all over the world hope to become the next biggest EuroMillions winner.
Online lottery players have won remarkable amounts of money by buying their EuroMillions tickets through theLotter. On June 8th 2012, a lucky player won an impressive €140,966 in the EuroMillions lottery. This was followed by another big win in the same lottery in October 2013, when a VIP player claimed a €392,321 second prize by Playing it Global through theLotter.
theLotter was founded in 2002 and facilitates lottery ticket purchases for players from around the world. Players can purchase tickets for over 45 worldwide lotteries, and can view lottery results and information for more than 80 lotteries. theLotter’s local offices buy the official tickets on your behalf and scan each ticket as proof of purchase. The winnings are deposited directly into your account without any commission charged.
All new players at theLotter are given a special Buy One Get One Free offer, whereby they receive an immediate 100% bonus money refund on their initial purchase on the site. Players can use this money to purchase lottery tickets for any of the world’s largest lottery jackpots.
Contact: theLotter, Tel: +44-20-3150-0476, Email:firstname.lastname@example.org


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James DiSabatino ’09 upped comfort food’s game more than five years ago with Roxy’s Grilled Cheese. Now the Emerson grad and his partner are trying to do the same with vegan cuisine at Whole Heart Provisions, recent winner of a 2016 MassChallenge grant.
Just don’t call him a “foodie.”
“Anybody can call themselves a foodie,” said DiSabatino. “I prefer titles people have to earn.”
Last week, DiSabatino earned the title of “trailblazer.” In a field of high tech, life sciences, and social impact startups that have been a part of the MassChallenge Boston accelerator, Whole Heart Provisions became the first and only restaurant ever to win a grant (a small number of food and beverage retailers have won).
“MassChallenge, they really look to see what type of social impact the company can have,” said DiSabatino, who majored in Marketing Communication at Emerson College.
“I think if we scale this correctly, and we’re able to be the next Chipotle, we have a serious opportunity to mitigate America’s biggest [challenges],” he said, including heart disease and climate change.
About 1,700 companies applied to MassChallenge this year, and 128 were accepted to the four-month program, which provides mentorship, office space, networking, and other non-financial resources to fledgling businesses. Of those companies, 16 are awarded grants of varying amounts to invest back into the businesses.
Whole Heart’s $50,000 award will go toward opening a second restaurant at an undisclosed location in the second quarter of 2017, DiSabatino said. The original store is at 487 Cambridge Street in Allston, Massachusetts.
The idea for Whole Heart came about when DiSabatino and his partner, Rebecca Arnold, began talking about opening a restaurant that patrons can feel good about visiting on a daily basis.
Since Roxy’s launched in 2011, it has grown to include two food trucks, two brick-and-mortar locations, and two more on the way. It has garnered rave reviews and amassed a large following of bread-and-cheese devotees. But, DiSabatino realized, it’s not the kind of thing you can eat every day—at least not if you care about your arteries.
Whole Heart Provisions, which features seven signature veggie bowls and a small menu of street food snacks, offers healthy, vegan dishes with globally inspired flavors and environmentally friendly ingredients, he said.
He described their target customers as educated, down-to-earth Millennials who are interested in food and their own health.
DiSabatino said that for Whole Heart, he and Arnold set about creating flavor combinations that people wouldn’t normally find at other vegetarian and vegan restaurants. One of their dishes—the “Mission Style” veggie bowl—is a whirlwind trip around Asia, blending edamame and Japanese eggplant with brussels sprouts; “Szechuan” dukkah (traditionally, an Egyptian condiment blend of herbs, spices, and nuts); and tahini dressing.
“We really kind of realized early on…that we weren’t going to make vegan-friendly foods accessible to non-vegans unless the flavors were off the charts,” DiSabatino said.
DiSabatino said MassChallenge was a great experience and gave them a new way of looking at growing a business.
“It allowed us to treat Whole Heart more like a startup than a restaurant, so it gave us a great perspective of how we can scale up as a company,” he said.


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Fire in store caused evacuation of Northampton shopping centre
A Northampton shopping centre was evacuated over the weekend following an electrical fire in a shop.
Police were called to Weston Favell shopping centre at 7pm on Saturday, December 30 to reports of a fire at a store.
A spokeswoman for Northamptonshire Police said: "It was an electrical fire and not thought to be deliberate or suspicious.
"The shopping centre was evacuated while officers put the fire out."
Six fire engines attended the incident and there were no injuries.
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